OAKLAND, California – A Chico man has been charged with murder in connection with the killing of Oakland police Officer Tuan Le on Dec. 29. Allen Starr Brown, 28, of Chico and Mark Demetrious Sanders, 27, of Stockton appeared in Alameda County court for the first time on Thursday, the same day when prosecutors announced the murder charges.
Le’s mother was surrounded by dozens of law enforcement officers in the court gallery as Sanders and Brown, wearing red jail outfits, waived a formal arraignment on murder charges. This marked the first Oakland police officer killed in the line of duty since 2009.
According to court documents released Thursday, the deadly encounter happened after at least three burglaries at a marijuana grow house that night, during which a group of people removed marijuana plants from the building and stashed them in vehicles waiting outside. Authorities say Sanders opened fire at Le from a vehicle driven by Brown after Le and other undercover officers responded to a burglary call at the corner of Embarcadero and 5th Avenue.
Both Sanders and Brown were held without bail at Santa Rita Jail and are scheduled to return to court on Jan. 18 to enter pleas. These events have deeply shaken the Oakland community, and the loss of Officer Tuan Le has reverberated throughout the city.